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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26853574">on my mind</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lookforanewangle/pseuds/lookforanewangle'>lookforanewangle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>behind your darkest doubts | whumptober 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Young Justice (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Begging, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Magic, No proofreading we die like mne, Pleading, Psychological Torture, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, and I will die on this hill, implied fear of abandonment, more deets in the author notes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:00:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>481</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26853574</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lookforanewangle/pseuds/lookforanewangle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce fucking <em>hates</em> magic.<br/>—<br/>No 6. PLEASE….<br/>“Get it Out” | <b>No More | “Stop, please”</b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson &amp; Bruce Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>behind your darkest doubts | whumptober 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>111</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>on my mind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I promise I love dick grayson and I want him to be happy, but just. whumptober, man :')</p><p>takes place shortly after the end of yj s1!</p><p>Warnings: psychological torture through the use of magic (essentially works like fear gas but like, 10x worse, and there's no fast antidote that bruce can whip up becaaaause it's magic), implied fear of being abandoned (you know when you're 8 and your parents have just been murdered, and you're staying with some insanely rich dude, and you're worried that doing one wrong thing will get you sent away? yeah this but at 13/14yo bc magic torture), begging, pleading</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bruce fucking <em> hates </em> magic.</p><p>Zatanna is perched to the side of the cot, hands hovering over Dick’s head, mumbling in her backwards tongue as M’gann holds her fingers gently against Dick’s temples. The Martian's eyes glow an unsettling green and tears drip silently down her cheeks, her lips pursed in concentration and pain. Dick’s head is pillowed in her lap, a spell he was hit by on their latest mission pulling all of his worst memories, fears, and nightmares to the surface more strongly than any fear gas Crane has ever cooked up.</p><p>Dick’s screams and desperate pleas will haunt Bruce’s nightmares for the rest of his life.</p><p>M’gann is doing her best to blockade Dick’s mind from all of the horrors plaguing him, but there’s only so much she can withstand at a time, especially against something so strong. And because it’s entirely magic, because there’s no compound or antidote that he can create, all Bruce can do is stand guard and hold Dick’s hand to let him know he’s there.</p><p>M’gann pulls back with a shuddering gasp. “I’m sorry,” she says, “There’s so much—”</p><p>Bruce swallows down his frustration as he turns his cowled gaze to hers. “You’ve done well,” he says, because she has, she <em> has </em>, and he will not let this team run themselves into the ground. Not on his watch. “Take a few minutes.”</p><p>Without the barrier, Dick’s mind is left open. “Please,” he rasps weakly, voice hoarse and barely there, ground down to nothing from screaming. It’s been nearly three hours. “Please, no more, please, <em> please— </em>”</p><p>“I’m almost through,” Zatanna whispers between phrases. M’gann strokes Dick’s sweaty hair from his forehead with soothing murmurs. “We’re almost there.”</p><p>Bruce pulls Dick’s hand to his face and presses his lips to his knuckles as Dick whines in fear. “I know, sweetheart, I know,” Bruce croons. He squeezes Dick’s fingers tight. “Just a little longer.”</p><p>“No,” Dick wails, exhausted, new tears mixing on already tear-tacky cheeks. “No more. No more, B, please, I can’t. I can’t, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please, <em> please </em>no more, please B. I’ll be better, I’ll be good, please—”</p><p>Bruce’s chest feels as if it’s collapsing in on itself at Dick’s words, heart stopping for one solid, heart-wrenching moment of agony. He lets out a shaky breath.</p><p>“You’ve done nothing wrong, chum,” he whispers roughly, urgently, holding tightly to Dick’s hand. He ever so gently cups Dick’s face in his other palm, but Dick still flinches violently away from the contact. Bruce’s eyes burn behind the cowl. “<em>Nothing</em>, do you hear me?”</p><p>“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please.”</p><p>“M’gann,” Zatanna calls.</p><p>“I’m ready.”</p><p>“B,” Dick cries. Bruce clutches Dick’s hand tightly between both of his own. He ducks his head against his hands, squeezes his eyes shut tight and grits his teeth so tightly they creak in distress.</p><p>
  <em> “Please.” </em>
</p><p>Bruce really, <em> really </em> fucking hates magic.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>j'onn was /handwaves unavailable, but m'gann knows dick's mind better anyway from all of their link-ups for missions. also, in case it wasn't abundantly clear, audrey and jersey have gotten me attached to the lovely idea of bruce calling his kids sweetheart in strenuous situations, and I'm hella emo/soft about it ;;; gonna just use this forever now, ty</p><p>I've got at least two more fics in me throughout the month, and a second chapter to last year's whumptober attempt (hopefully), but I'm not sure if I'll do much more beyond that. gotta save some words for nano lol (whose idea was it to do these back to back??). thank y'all so much for reading so far!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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